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THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW
ARRAIGNS BAD BUSINESS METHODS IN PIANO TRADE.
BRIGHT PROSPECTS IN DETROIT.
A. W. Brooks, Manager of Piano Department of Root Dry Goods Co., Terre Haute, Ind., Tells
of His Experiences in Securing Salesmen, and the Prevailing Impression Regarding Busi-
ness Methods in the Piano Trade—Reasons Why They Exist—Desires Suggestions That
Might Help Improve Conditions Which Mr. Brooks Says Are Far from 'Satisfactory Now.
Ford Motor Co. Plans to Double Plant and New
Companies Enter Field, Which Means Mil-
lions More in Wages—Piano Dealers Laying
in Stock for Fall—Optimism in the Saddle.
I have just returned from a canvassing to.ur of
business places in search of some real young blood
who might be developed into A-l piano salesmen.
I found, as I supposed when I was starting out,
that I was attempting the impossible. Every young
man I approached threw up his hands in horro.r.
"Piano business? Not for mel Nothing doing!
Thanks for your interest in me, but I am perfectly
satisfied where I am." I found the salaries of these
young men ranged from $13 to $15 per week, re-
spectively.
I am writing not so much to tell yo,u of my little
canvassing trip, but to bring out the truth in the
broad, white light of the condition existing in our
business, which is foreign to any other business of
such proportions as that which engages yo.u and I.
Why does this condition exist?
Who is responsible for it?
These are the questions we must solve, and the
quicker the better. To argue against a dearth of
real timber out of which must be carved the future
piano salesmen is to fight the fight o,f Don Quixote
—a fallacious waste of time and words.
You, Mr. Dealer, are the offender. Your utter
disregard of business principles, your neglect of
system and policy, together with a vast amount of
unadulterated greed, has caused this condition—
the inevitable result of the "beat-the-other-fellow"
policy, which is destructive of the very aim you
wish to attain, namely, reputation, clientele, the
confidence of the people in your locality and, last
but not least profit.
The average young man apparently views the re-
tailing of pianos as a proposition where the ability
to misrepresent and fallacy are the qualities most
valued. He shirks from it because he cannot see
it as a vocation above reproach, and to a degree he
is right, due to the fact that his view is only of the
surface, and his conclusions are based upon what
he has heard and seen. One young man informed
me that his people tho.ught of purchasing a piano
a short time ago, and that they were solicited by
four different houses in their city, and, instead of
an intelligent talk, all they learned was that each
salesman had a better instrument than the other
fellow at the same price, or as good an instru-
ment at a lower price, and that it would be fallacy
to buy of the other fello.w because he ran a con-
signment business and did not own his pianos, and
therefore the purchaser may be called upon at any
time to pay for it by the factory which owns it.
Another fellow, talking against an old, reliable
make, said he could prove that it was no.t the
original, but a cheap piano with the old name upon
it. Another fellow said his competitor's pianos
were stencilled pianos, and elaborated upon what
he called a stencilled piano. In other words, these
particular salesmen kno.cked each other's goods
to the extent that they disgusted the would-be
buyer, and he decided to call off the purchasing of
an instrument, and he is now out of the market-
temporarily at least—and is worse off than before,
due to his skepticism of all piano houses; and it
will always be thus until piano merchants get to-
gether and decide upon some policy which will
elevate the piano game to the position it should
occupy, one upon the pedestal of honesty and fair
dealing, thus placing it as a leader in the retailing
game, instead of its present status, which surely
could be greatly improved. The o.ne-price system
is a solid foundation upon which it should rest.
If the retailers are not able to get together along
this line, let the factories force the issue, as is done
in the talking machine business, and then we will
have a business beyond the attacks of the
scrutinizing skeptics, and we will all be
better satisfied with our chosen life's vo-
cation. Fortunately, the writer is connected
THE SALES OF QUALITY PIANOS.
increasing demand for pianos of quality. There is
something, after all, in having full confidence in
the merits of the piano one is selling, for it brings
about a sincerity of expression and a zeal in sales-
manship that must bring profitable results.
Faith of the Dealer in the Instrument He
Handles the Basis of Success in Securing
Quality Sales—Success with the Mason &
Hamlin Pianos Exemplifies This Viewpoint.
On the opposite page appears an interesting ad-
vertisement which was recently carried in the
Syracuse, N. Y., daily papers by the Clark Music
Co., agents in that city for the Mason & Hamlin
•Co., of Boston, Mass.
One of the most striking and significant facts in
connection with the representation of the pianos
made by this company is that the dealers handling
them become as enthusiastic as the musicians are
regarding their tone qualities and artistic excel-
lence. This viewpoint is emphasized in their adver-
tising which, in its general character, is imbued
with the Mason & Hamlin ideals of quality.
This is a pleasing development, and it is due
undoubtedly to this attitude that there is such an
(Special to The Review.)
DETROIT, MICH., July 14.—Detroit piano dealers
are so. confident of a big business in the fall that
they are, several of them at least, placing heavy
orders for September delivery. They are not
waiting for the traveling men to call for them.
Travelers never were so scarce in Detroit before.
It is assumed that they are all taking vacations,
there being no better period of the year, especially
this year, at which to rest up. J. Henry Ling, the
J. L. Hudson Co. and Grinnell Bros, all are "laying
up" stock in advance.
Marked instances of resumption of business ac-
tivity in Detroit, in the reopening of factories
which have been closed, have augmented the con-
fidence of Detroit dealers a good deal lately. One
of the biggest factors has been the action of the
Ford Motor Co. in starting work on new addi-
tions to its already tremendous plant which will
double it in size. This means the addition of about
15,000 workingmen to the payrolls, at the very
best of wages paid to any workingmen in the
country. Aside from the direct buying power of
these men, the millions in wages that will be paid
to them in a year, and spent by them, cannot help
but be felt in every line of business.
Another big factor which developed this week
was the incorporation of Dodge Bros., who re-
cently retired from the Ford Co. to establish a
motor car plant of their own. They have five
millions of capital, and undoubtedly will employ
several thousand men.
Two other big industries to resume this week
were the American Car & Foundry plant in
Detroit and the Detroit Oak Belting Co. Aside
from giving work to a large number of men, the
business of these establishments is of a nature
that serves as a barometer of industrial activity
in other parts of the country, for neither belting
nor railroad cars are wanted for anything but
business.
A. W. Brooks.
with a one-price house. I am a -firm be-
liever of this method of selling pianos. My sales-
men have only one price to offer. Each piano
$75,000 DAMAGE BY FIRE
carries its particular terms. My men all talk alike
To the Premises of the Boyne City Musical
when it comes to price and terms, and we never
Instrument Co.—Factory Only Just Com-
kno.w what it is in our store to have the salesmen's
pleted—Fully Covered by Insurance.
talk conflict. We have proved that this is the
right system—it will always prove a winner. Until
(Special to The Review.)
some campaign o.f purification is worked on, and
BUFFALO, N. Y., July 15.—The Boyne City Mu-
carried to a successful close, we will always find sical Instrument Co., of Boyne City, Mich., was
a dearth of bright young men in our selling forces. damaged Saturday morning, July 11, by fire to the
I mean men of the right caliber, those who will extent of $75,000, according to a telegram received
choose the retailing of pianos as their life's work at North Tonawanda by the company's president,
and will look upon it as a field promising for Julius Schwartz, who left immediately for the
success.
fire. The musical company is composed largely
I should like to hear from some who might dif- of Tonawanda capital, and twelve Tonawanda res-
fer with me. Let's start a controversy along those idents are employed by the firm. The concern
lines in the hope that something might be sug- only two months ago completed its facto,ry for
gested that will be a real help in improving this business. The plant is fully covered by insurance,
condition, which, by the way, is not psychological and reconstruction of the building will be set in
but real.
motion at once.
MARTIN TO SPEAKjVT TUNERS* MEET
George E. Martin, chief instructor of the
Danquard Player Action School, New York, will
address the American Guild o.f Piano Tuners at
their national convention, which will be held in
Rochester, N. Y., August 3 to 6. 'Mr. Martin will
THE LATE CARL FISCHER'S ESTATE. explain to the tuners the idea and purposes of the
Carl Fischer, Jr., who died December 13, 1912, school, and may take up briefly "First Aid to the
and was head of the corporation of Carl Fischer, Injured Player."
manufacturer of musical instruments, had an in-
terest of $155,718 in the business. He lived in
FEATURING THE^KNABE LINE.
Englewood, N. J., and the question as to whether.
The Mclntosh Music House, the piano depart-
the estate is taxable here was referred to the
ment of the Mclntosh Co., of Kalispell, Mont., has
Surrogate last week."*-?^ estate went to his wife,
recently taken the agency for the Wm. Knabe &
Amalia W. Fischer, and his children, Anna Flor-
Co. pianos. The house also carries on a consider-
ence Fischer and Carl Fischer 3d.
-. i
able business with the Packard, Price & Teeple,
and Janssen pianos, and also the Angelus player-
INCORPORATED.
pianos.
The Mclntosh Music House is the outcome of
The Universal Music Co., San Antonio, Tex., has
been incorporated .for $15,000 by J. E. Swenson, the original Mclntosh Hardware Co., which en-
tered the piano business in 1902.
G. F. Close and W. F. Wilson.